Kristine Sorensen receives Bill Burns Award, honoring decades of journalism excellence and impact

After 23 years as a broadcast journalist in Pittsburgh, Kristine Sorenson is no stranger to winning awards — including a Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Human Interest Feature Reporter for her Kidsburgh stories. Recently, though, she won an award that means more to her than any other: The Bill Burns Award for Journalistic Excellence, given to Kristine at the 51st-annual Art Rooney Awards.

During the ceremony at Acrisure Stadium on Sept. 17, Kristine was honored for her journalism and community impact during than more than 20 years at KDKA-TV, where she currently anchors the 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. news, as well as reporting stories as a vital part of the Kidsburgh team. She also shares Kidsburgh stories weekly on 100.7 Star and KDKA Radio, along with her husband, Marty Griffin.

As Kidsburgh readers know, Kristine regularly finds and reports stories designed to help give kids the best opportunity to succeed in life. These include unique in-school and after-school programs, free resources for babies and kids from under-resourced communities, help for kids with disabilities, autism and other challenges, and also stories that celebrate kids from our region who are doing great things.

One of Kristine’s favorite stories went viral in recent years and helped people around the world. She reported about an autistic boy who was non-verbal and had received a communication device from Variety the Children’s Charity. Kristine did a powerful segment about the boy, then returned a year later to do a follow-up. She found that with help from the device, the boy had begun speaking. Her story on his progress got global attention and has led many families to seek similar devices to help their children.

“One of the reasons I wanted to go into broadcast journalism was because I saw it as a place where women had an equal seat, literally, right next to a man. And I saw it as a place where I could make a difference in my community,” Kristine says.

This interest began as early as her teenage years, she says, “and from the beginning, I really did see it as a platform to be able to help other people and to use this voice where you can reach thousands of people to make a difference.”

She has also volunteered at March of Dimes events for the past 18 years, helped emcee events for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and served for a decade on the board of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Kidsburgh’s team often sees Kristine having real impact.

“So often when Kidsburgh is at a community event, it is Kristine’s photo or name on a rack card that draws people,” says Linda Krynski, Kidsburgh’s former director, who still runs many Kidsburgh events. “One grandfather asked for more information about a fishing program Kristine had aired. He knew his grandson would love it. Parents seem to trust Kristine; they know she is a parent, too.”

Kristine was also nominated this year for four Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards, including another “Best Human Interest Feature Reporter” award for a story she did on her colleague, Jon Burnett, and a story about a young man with anorexia.

“One of Kristine’s greatest talents is her empathy and how dedicated she is to helping families and kids in Pittsburgh,” says Kidsburgh’s director Yu-Ling Cheng. “She listens deeply to families and their needs, and thoughtfully covers the stories that can positively impact them. We are lucky to have her at Kidsburgh. And she’s an incredible mom herself and understands firsthand the juggling we all do as parents.”